Celebrity Silhouette Specialty Dining: The Porch

20161123_130825

The Celebrity Solstice-class ships, including the Silhouette, all have an expansive lawn club. Real grass growing on the top deck of the ship, perfect for lounging, reading, relaxing, or in our case, dining. We chose The Porch for a lovely and relaxed lunch while docked in St. Thomas. 

20161123_123458

After our catamaran to Honeymoon Beach in St. John (more on that later), we arrived back at the ship ready for lunch. Our group of five made our way to The Porch for a wine and seafood filled lunch. The seafood is the thing here – both fish and shellfish – and we tried a lot of it. Beginning with warm, cheesy bread, I knew we had made the right choice.

20161123_124525

Our friends had already been to The Porch once on the trip, and let us know some of their favorite dishes, including the fish tacos and lobster roll. Much to my dismay, the tacos come with both mayonnaise and mango, the two things I cannot eat. (Darn allergies!) I ordered the Asian chicken wings for the table, which were only OK. Since I couldn’t possibly eat everything that sounded good, I tried some of my friend’s dishes. Both the shrimp cocktail and lobster bisque were delicious. My tuna tartare was outstanding.

20161123_132347

Everyone enjoyed their choices of lobster rolls and mahi tacos. FKGuy’s tacos were undercooked, and not great, yet he thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the meal. Of course, we live in the and of the amazing fish taco, so it is not easy to impress us. My branzino, with roasted tomatoes, was one of the best things I ate all week. Cooked perfectly and full of flavor, I would happily enjoy it again and again.

20161123_132243

The Porch is a small restaurant so reservations are suggested, and the cover charge is $30/person for both lunch and dinner. There are other no-additional-cost options, such as the buffet, but the delicious food, cozy atmosphere, and excellent service make this a lovely alternative.